1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions for preparing edible coatings for fruits, vegetables and prepared foods which includes polyvinyl acetate (PVA). It further relates to any fruit, vegetable or prepared food coated with the edible coating made with the composition which includes polyvinyl acetate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA; acetic acid ethenyl ester homopolymer, CAS No. 9003-20-7) is a polymer with --[CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3 COO)]-- as the repeating unit. Polyvinyl acetate with minimum average molecular weight 2000 is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a direct food additive in chewing gum base under 21 CFR 172.615 with the restriction that it be used in amounts not to exceed what is required to produce the intended physical or technical effect (FDA, 1995). Polyvinyl acetate is also approved as an indirect food additive under the following 21 CFR provisions: 73.1 (inks), 175.105 (adhesives), 175.300 (metal coating), 175.320 (film coating), 176.160 (paper coating), 176.180 (paper component), 177.1200 (cellophane component), 177.2260 (filter component), 178.3910 (metal lubricant) and 181.30 (manufacture of food-contact paper).
Besides its many uses as chewing gum base (Song and Townsend, PCT-International Application WO96/28042 A1, 1996); Synosky and Reed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,500, 1994; Yung-Chu and Robinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,721, 1993), polyvinyl acetate has been investigated as an ingredient in fungicide-carrying coatings for cheese (Fente-Sampayo et al., Archiv. fuer Lebensmittelhygiene, Volume 46(3), 62-65, 1995; Shiller et al, XX International Dairy Congress E, 1005-1006, 1978) and fruit (Fisher and Jonge, South African Patent 66/4464, 1968), as a sorbic acid carrier in a margarine wrapper (Harris and Rosenfeld, Food Processing Industry, Volume 43(516), 23-25, 1974), a cassava coating (Salazar de Buckle et al., Revista del Instituto de Investigaciojnes Technologicas, Volume 15(86), 33-47, 1973), an ingredient in sausage casings (Judd et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,778, 1984; Stiem, German Patent Application DE 3842969 A1, 1990), and as an egg coating (Lin et al., J. Chinese Soc. Animal Sci., Volume 13(1), 55-63, 1984). Polyvinyl acetate films were not permeable to bacteria (Matsui et al., Report of Toyo Junior College of Food Technology and Toyo Institute of Food Technology, Volume 9, 89-93, 1970). Polyvinyl acetate has also been used in pharmaceutical coatings, especially those for controlled-release applications (Baichwal and McCall, U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,046, 1998; Froemming, German Offen. Patent DE 3918801 A1, 1991). Salazar de Buckle (1973, supra) disclose that paraffin coatings of cassava result in significantly less water vapor loss than a coating with a resin such as polyvinyl acetate. Fisher and Jong (1968, supra) used polyvinyl acetate in an emulsion for coating fruit.
While various uses of polyvinyl acetate are known in the art for food and pharmaceutical products, there remains a need in the art for highly effective high-gloss food coatings, especially for coating fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods. The present invention provides compositions and methods of use, which are different from related art compositions.